Release date is 2026-05-10

Anna Sirén and Tapio Riikonen

Nuorta lempeä by Anna Baadsgaard is a novel written in the early 20th century. Set in rural Småland, it follows the proud yet embittered young landowner Aage Sparre, his steadying aunt Gertrud, and the gentle, cosmopolitan Agnete Kaas, a childhood friend whose arrival rekindles quiet hope amid hardship; nearby, the presence of Aage’s former fiancée, now married, hints at social tension and emotional conflict.

The opening of this novel paints a rain-dimmed landscape and an equally somber Aage returning to his struggling estate, haunted by family loss, financial ruin, and a broken engagement. At home, his wise Aunt Gertrud proposes hosting Agnete Kaas, and after a brief resistance, Aage agrees; soon Agnete arrives from England, and their drive through sunlit fields and along the river reveals both the setting’s subdued beauty and the softening of Aage’s reserve. A tour of Koivula shows Agnete’s warm, restorative presence meeting Aage’s stubborn austerity—he rejects reminders of his former life and refuses aesthetic comforts despite her tactful offers. In a parallel scene at the neighboring Dalan manor, the vivacious Lotten Tholander (Aage’s ex-fiancée) schemes restlessly, and as evening falls at Koivula, Agnete’s quiet music is interrupted by incoming visitors, leaving the first section poised between calm and impending confrontation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, 1914